Package and method for color retention of fresh meat
The package includes a plurality of food packages ( 16 ) continuing fresh meat food products ( 17 ). Each food package is vacuum packaged in a case ready package with a permeable film. The case ready package being sealed within a master pouch ( 12 ) having a modified atmosphere. The modified atmosphere having an elevated concentration of carbon monoxide. The fresh meat ( 17 ) being in the case ready package and not in direct contact with the modified atmosphere. The fresh meat ( 17 ) retaining acceptable color within the case ready package after being removed from the master pouch.
1. A package comprising:
a. a plurality of food packages containing fresh meat food products;
i. the plurality of food packages being vacuum packaged to form case ready packages comprising:
a support and a permeable film;
the permeable film having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of at least 4,000 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
b. the plurality of food packages contained within a sealed master pouch being made from a film having an OTR less than 100 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
c. the sealed master pouch comprising a modified atmosphere comprising nitrogen, carbon dioxide, at least 0.6% by volume carbon monoxide and less than 0.05% oxygen;
such that a color retention percentage of the fresh meat food product is at least 70% measured in accordance with the following formula:
Color
retention
percentage
=
Color
x
Color
1
×
100
Color 1 is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured on the day the food package is removed from the master pouch;
Color x is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured x days after the food package is removed from the master pouch; and
x is at least 3 days.
2. A method for packaging a product comprising the steps of:
a. situating at least one fresh meat food product on a support;
b. vacuum packaging the at least one fresh meat food product between the support and a permeable film to form a case ready package;
i. the permeable film having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of at least 4,000 cc (STP)/m2/day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
c. situating a plurality of the case ready package within a master pouch being made from a film having an OTR less than 100 or 10 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
d. sealing the case ready package within the master pouch as a modified atmosphere package;
i. the modified atmosphere comprising nitrogen, carbon dioxide, at least 0.6% by volume carbon monoxide and less than 0.05% oxygen;
e. retaining the case ready package within the master pouch for at least 3 days;
f. such that a color retention percentage of the fresh meat food product is at least 70% measured in accordance with the following formula:
Color
retention
percentage
=
Color
x
Color
1
×
100
Color 1 is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured on the day the case ready package is removed from the master pouch;
Color x is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured x days after the case ready package is removed from the master pouch; and
x is at least 3 days.
3. A package comprising:
a. a plurality of food packages containing fresh meat food products;
i. the plurality of food packages being vacuum packaged to form case ready packages comprising:
1. A support and a permeable film;
the permeable film having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of at least 4,000 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
b. the plurality of food packages contained within a sealed master pouch being made from a film having an OTR less than 100 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985;
c. the sealed master pouch comprising a modified atmosphere comprising nitrogen, carbon dioxide, a carbon monoxide concentration of greater than 0.6% by volume and less than 0.05% by volume oxygen;
such that the square of the percentage of carbon monoxide concentration in the master pouch multiplied by the OTR of the permeable film measured in cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985 is greater than 2500.
4. The package of claim 3 , wherein the permeable film is non-perforated.
5. The package of claim 4 , wherein the permeable film comprises at least 90% by weight of a very low density polyethylene copolymer.
6. The package of claim 3 wherein the meat food product is a fresh red meat food product.
7. The package of claim 3 wherein the support is a semi-rigid tray comprising PET, APET, CPET or RPET.
8. The package of claim 3 wherein the support has an OTR of at least 5,000 cc (STP)/m 2 /day/1 atm at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity (RH) as measured in accordance with ASTM D3985.
9. The package of claim 3 wherein a color retention percentage of the fresh meat food product is at least 70% measured in accordance with the following formula:
Color
retention
percentage
=
Color
x
Color
1
×
100
Color 1 is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured on the day the food package is removed from the master pouch;
Color x is a Hunter LAB a-value of the fresh meat food product in the case ready package measured x days after the food package is removed from the master pouch; and
x is at least 3 days.
10. The package of claim 9 , wherein the meat food product is a fresh red meat food product and the fresh red meat has a Color x value of at least 22 or of at least 25.
11. The package of claim 10 , wherein x is at least 5 days.
12. The package of claim 3 , wherein the modified atmosphere has carbon monoxide concentration of at least 1.6%.
13. The package of claim 3 wherein the modified atmosphere has carbon monoxide concentration of between 1.2% and 3.5% by volume.
14. The package claim 3 wherein the plurality of food packages are selected from the group consisting of vacuum shrink bag or vacuum skin packages.
15. The package of claim 3 wherein the plurality of food packages in the master pouch is at least 4 packages.
16. The package of claim 3 wherein the modified atmosphere consists essentially of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, at least 0.8% by volume carbon monoxide and less than 0.05% oxygen.
17. The package of claim 3 wherein the modified atmosphere within the master pouch is present in amount from 1.0 to 1.5 cc per gram of fresh meat food product contained within the master pouch.
18. The package of claim 3 wherein the modified atmosphere within the master pouch has carbon monoxide present in amount of at least 0.008 cc per gram of fresh meat food product contained within the master pouch.
19. The package of claim 3 wherein the master pouch does not contain an oxygen absorber sachet.
20. The package of claim 3 wherein the sealed master pouch comprising less than 0.01% oxygen.